


Chase the High, Baby

by SSAlias



Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), M/M, Wet Dream, bc im lazy, for now, fuck its late, happy new years, only tagging characters that have conversations with reggie, rated mature bc boners but pants stay on, short chapters for ur leisure, unedited, when i wrote this that is, why isnt vader a tag yet you cowards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-07-02 04:32:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15789030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SSAlias/pseuds/SSAlias
Summary: “That’s it,” the Serpent said in a hushed tone, “Chase the high, baby.”





	1. Reggie has a Fucking Potty Mouth

**Author's Note:**

> i call this sweggie

Sweet Pea shoved Reggie into the largest stall in the boys’ bathroom. Reggie stumbled back, avoiding collision between his back and the wall thanks to his backpack. He watched as the other boy closed and locked the stall door before turning back to him. Sweet Pea pulled his satchel bag off his shoulder, dropping it to the floor, and waited for Reggie to do the same. The football captain quickly tossed his own bag to the floor. 

The taller teen slowly dragged his gaze along Reggie’s frame, eyes alight with something between mischief and desire. Reggie couldn’t remember what he did to end up in this situation, nevertheless, the anticipation buzzed about his body like alcohol, making him feel light. 

Reggie licked his lips. “Stop stalling, pussy.” He said, tapping the wall with the back of his knuckles. “Pun intended.” 

Sweet Pea’s eyes darkened before he moved forwards. Reggie could’ve sworn he saw a flash of a grin, but didn’t have time to ponder due to being pushed up against the wall. He clung to his classmate’s shoulders and uttered out a small whine. A low chuckle came from Sweet Pea.

“Cute,” he mumbled.”Think you’re tough, yeah?” He leaned in and placed small, light kisses along Reggie’s jaw. The shorter boy squirmed at the feeling, stuck between wanting nothing more than feeling those kisses all over his body and wanting  _ more _ than just feeling those lips on him. He was going to voice this turmoil, but was interrupted by Sweet Pea biting the sensitive spot under his ear. 

“ _ Shit, _ ” he moaned quietly and felt a flush creeping up his neck as the sounded echoed off the bathroom walls.

“Careful now, we don’t want to get caught. Do we?” Sweet Pea quirked an eyebrow and Reggie shook his head. “Good boy,” 

“You were the-  _ ah, _ ” Sweet Pea bit him again, “The one talking first!” He accused. 

Sweet Pea rolled his eyes and slowly unzipped Reggie’s hoodie. “Keep talking and see what happens,” he muttered. 

“You know what? I think I will,” Reggie tested with a cocky smirk. 

Sweet Pea scrowled. Reggie smirked more. A moment passed, just enough to make Reggie feel twitchy, then Sweet Pea’s hand grasped at his crotch. 

He hissed, “ _ Asshole, _ ” and involuntarily jerked his hips forwards against the hand. Sweet Pea mimicked his earlier smirk with no intention of moving anytime soon.  

In any other time, Reggie would’ve berate himself for acting so desperate and already being semi-hard, but for now he was attempting to grind against Sweet Pea’s hand while he watched. Reggie had never really considered himself an exhibitionist before, however, something about the idea of being caught with  _ Sweet Pea specifically _ really turned him on. Maybe it was the fact that they were suppose to hate each other, maybe it was driven by some  _ Romeo and Juliet _ esque type adrenaline, whatever it was, Reggie craved it.  

“That’s it,” the Serpent said in a hushed tone, “Chase the high, baby.” 

Reggie felt heat over taking his face again and worked his hips more fervorously, quietly cursing his jeans for not being on the floor already. He moved his hands down, ready to get rid of his pants, but a hand gripped his chin and stopped him in his tracks. 

Sweet Pea stared at him and Reggie’s level of readiness to get some action could have never prepared him for boy leaning in and licking four quick stripes up the side of his face. 

  
  


“Eughh,” Reggie groaned, the vibration of his own voice making the pounding on the back of his head turn from bad to worse. He groggily rubbed at his eyes and came to the realization that he was currently on his bedroom hardwood floor with one leg half-tangled in the blanket on his bed. Also on his bed, peering excidely over the edge with his tail wagging, was Vader. 

“You devious son of a bitch, Vader. Can’t you let me have one wet dream in peace?” He bit. Vader barked happily, or smugly Reggie thought, in response. The small dog hopped off the bed and trotted out the slightly ajar door and downstairs. 

Reggie sighed and sat up. He wiped the slobber off his cheek with a grimace. He turned to his alarm clock and almost choked when he saw the time. First period was going to start in five minutes. “Vader!” He yelled, “Bring up my shoes and I promise I’ll bring home some treats!” 

An affirmative bark echoed from downstairs as Reggie ran into his bathroom. 


	2. Walt Whitman is a Bi Icon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> another unedited late night/early morning crack ship shitpost

Reggie was exhausted. Between football practice and keeping up with his few advanced placement classes, his mind and body coexisted in a shared state of “Please let me die so I can have a break.” Of course, the universe was cruel and Reggie had to drag himself to the gym for class instead of getting what he thought would be a well deserved nap. 

He threw his backpack into his locker with an echoing thud. He noticed a few of the other guys give him questioning looks out the corner of his eye. Reggie quickly changed into his basketball shorts and walked out the locker room. 

Not even five feet away from the locker room threshold, Reggie was hit in the side of the head with one of the small, foam dodgeballs that they were currently being forced to use do to some “accidents.” He whipped his head around to throw a glare to whoever had the audacity to target him at a time when he was so tired. 

“Oops, my bad.” Said Sweet Pea, not sounding apologetic at all. Reggie had almost forgotten that the Southsider shared the same gym class as him. His newfounded sleep deprivation must’ve really been getting to him. He finally decided to actually take in the sight before him. Sweet Pea was wearing the standard Riverdale High, gray tank-top with a pair of navy blue basketball shorts. What made him stand out, Reggie thought, was the bandana he had to wear around his neck to cover up his tattoo. The bright red clashed with his entire persona. 

“Earth to moron, hello? Did you hear me?” 

“What?” Reggie snapped, not to pleased with his internal monologue being interrupted by an insult so mediocre. 

“I asked if you could throw back the ball,” was the response, Sweet Pea looking very unimpressed. 

Reggie scowled and snatched up the ball before chucking it at the taller boy’s head. Sweet Pea’s hand flew up and caught the ball in a firm grasp, derailing Reggie’s thoughts for a moment, before he effectively stored that image away for later analysis. The football captain moved his eyes to Sweet Pea’s and was greeted with a not-so-friendly stare.

“You’re the first one I’m getting out,” threatened the Serpent.

Reggie scoffed, then taunted, “I’d like to see you try.”

“That’s big talk coming from somebody who looks like they’re about to eat shit and pass out at any second,” 

“I’m not gonna- So? I don’t need sleep to take you down!” Reggie declared. 

Sweet Pea remained unimpressed. “Trying to talk tough doesn’t work when the bags under your eyes are actually darker than your eye color,” 

Reggie reeled. Not only from getting quick deja vu from his dream from a week ago, but also from being called out in such an odd way. Typically when someone talked shit, they pointed out his flawed actions and immoralistic thought patterns, not his eye color. His mouth moved before his brain could catch up.

“That’s pretty gay, bro. Thinking about another guy’s eye color, then using it in an analogy. Who are you? Walt Whitman?” Internally, Reggie cringed into the fifth dimension. 

Sweet Pea stared at him blankly. 

“I don’t remember any eye color analogies in  _ Leaves of Grass _ ,” Reggie grinned slightly, causing Sweet Pea to backtrack. “I mean, not that I read it. I don’t do that. Read poetry. Nope.” 

“You read poetry?” Teased Reggie, very much back in the current dimension.

“Not anymore,” 

“There’s nothing wrong with liking poetry,”

“I know that,”

“It makes you more verbally eloquent,”

“I know that,” 

“Very charismatic,”

“Are you trying to reassure me or yourself?” Sweet Pea growled. 

Reggie decided enough was enough and raised his hands slightly in defense and shrugged. Sweet Pea tossed him one more dirty look before stomping off to line up for dodge ball. Reggie let his grin over take his face. He couldn’t tell who was more screwed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey did u know that reggie is like super smart in the comics??? @riverdalewriters give him back his brain


	3. Evil Mastermind, Mr. Mantle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie decides he wants to expose Sweet Pea and thinks up a plan on how to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i did most of this chapter in september and then forgot about it haha anyways here's kevin and reggie solidarity hallelujah

It took Reggie until the end of the day to realize that when he accused Sweet Pea of being gay, the boy responded with legitimate confusion because he apparently knew poetry so well. Reggie was absolutely one to stereotype, it has earned him quite a few shiners in the past, so upon this realization, he made it his mission to out Sweet Pea.

By “out” he meant just get the kid to admit to him personally he was gay, or not, or whatever. Reggie would tell himself it's because having that dirt on Sweet Pea would put him above the other. And he loved feeling superior.

Once home, he tossed down his bag, fed Vader, and hit up Kevin. Reggie himself was fluent in straight-guy-bro-dude talk, he spoke the language up until eighth grade when he realized that the football team was full of just as much eye candy as the cheerleader squad, but Kevin was an expert at gay-speak.

The phone rang twice before Kevin picked up. “What do you wa-” he started, before Reggie interrupted him.

“If I call a dude gay and he responds by talking about poetry, without denying that I called him gay, does that mean he's gay.”

Silence

“All I heard was gay. Start over from the beginning.”

Reggie sighed dramatically, emphasised with a groan and exaggerated “Fine,” Then let the words fly out his mouth.

”I was talking to this guy right? And he brought up my eye color so I called him gay-”

“You're the biggest douchbag in the world,”

”and Walt Whitman, and he responded by saying that Leaves of Grasses doesn't talk about eye color. He just ignored me calling him gay and tried to assert dominance by demonstrating his superior knowledge of poetry!”

Reggie took a breath.

“So he's gay, right?”

Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose on the other side of the phone. “Maybe he's just very in touch with his emotions and enjoys reading.”

“In touch with his emotions my ass! He acts like an angry brick.,”

“Who is he?”

Possession flooded Reggie's veins. “No,”

“No? Why not?” 

Reggie didn't know why. He just didn't want Kevin to know that Sweet Pea was potentially queer. He didn't want anyone to know actually. It was something _he_ wanted to find out and no one else.

“Oh my god you like him,” Kevin suddenly said in response to Reggie's silence. 

“Well...he's hot,”

Kevin laughed. “See you tomorrow, Reggie.”

Then he hung up.

Reggie tossed his phone onto his bed and fell backwards onto it. He could just ask Sweet Pea, but then it wouldn't be a big deal and Reggie loved making things a big deal. He looked at his calendar. Tomorrow was Thursday. Maybe he could throw a party this weekend. He sat up.

He could invite Sweet Pea and corner him about it. A wicked smile played across Reggie's face as he hatched a plan. 

He’d invite everyone, Bulldogs, Vixens, and Serpents alike. Then, he’d do his rounds, checking in on everybody, seeing how they were enjoying their time. That’s when he’d strike up a conversation with Sweet Pea and trick him into coming out.

Except there was one issue with his plan. That other Serpent, Fogarty, always hung around Sweet Pea. He’d have to figure out a way to seperate them. Reggie groaned. He’d have to get even  _ more _ help.

He couldn’t ask Kevin or else he’d find out. So, his next best option would have to be either Archie or Moose. Archie was really good at acting innocent, he’d help Reggie with a couple of school pranks in the past, but it always seemed like Sweet Pea had this grudge against the redhead. If that was the case, there would be no way that Andrews could convince the smaller gang member to leave his friend. That only left Moose. 

Reggie sat up. Moose was a pretty friendly guy and Reggie was at least sixty percent sure that he had an art class with Fangs. Maybe he could drag him away by asking about an art project or something. 

All Reggie had to do, is explain the situation to Moose without exposing his actual plan. He could say that he need to talk to Sweet Pea in private, but didn’t want to be rude. No, that wouldn’t work. Reggie never cares about not being rude. 

He leaned forward, mimicking Auguste Rodin’s  _ The Thinker.  _ He could say it was about drugs, since Reggie was known to deal every now and then. That could be believable. If he was gonna sell some jingle jangle, he’d obviously not want anyone around who could tell the cops.

Moose might not be easy to convince if that was the reason though. Sure, the guy had gotten high before, but that didn’t mean he supported it fully. However, if Moose were to use that excuse, Reggie could call him a hypocrite and then Moose would just  _ have  _ to help. Otherwise, he’d feel guilty. 

He clasped his hands together and leaned back with a satisfied smirk. This weekend was going to be killer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for leaving comments @ the two of yall that did, they made me go uwu


	4. this was suppose to be a one-shot what am I doing???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rom-com cliches and toni is a top

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listend to Fitz and the Tantrums while writing this

Everything was going  _ fantastic.  _ Reggie had gone around all morning inviting people left and right. He made some excuse saying it was a late Christmas and an early New Year’s party and that there’d be loads to drink. Celebration and intoxication was the best motivator for any kid in Riverdale. 

“Cheryl,” he bowed, holding out a blood red invitation to the cheerleader. Her girlfriend, the pink haired girl, smiled at him in kind.

“What do you want, Reginald?” Cheryl asked, giving Reggie the perfect window of action.

“Why, inviting Riverdale High’s HBIC to my holiday bash, of course! No celebration is complete without the queen!” He felt the paper be pulled from his hand, and he stood as straight as his bi ass would allow. “Your girlfriend can come too, obviously.”

“Hold your horses. I haven’t agreed to anything, yet.” Cheryl eyed him carefully. “How do I know this isn’t just another scheme for you to ogle at other people being scandalous or laugh at the unfortunate souls dare partake in whatever toxin you manage to brew up? Tell me, is this really a party, or another treacherous scheme?” She leered, as her girlfriend plucked the invite from the ginger. 

“You know me too well, babe!” Reggie laughed. “But, I can promise that no one of your concern will be my target for the night.” 

Cheryl’s brow rose and she opened her mouth to speak. However, she was interrupted by the girl at her side. “I think it sounds fun. I’ve never been to a Northside party before!”

Reggie watched Cheryl’s face melt whilst looking at the dark skinned girl’s hopeful smile. 

“You know,” he started, a devious grin breaking across his face as he pulled a few more invitations seemingly out of thin air. “It’s a host’s job to show his patrons a good time. If you can think of any other of your Serpent friends that wouldn’t be against a free beer, give ‘em a card.”

The girl’s smile grew as she took the cards. “I have a few in mind, who’d just  _ love _ to attend  _ your _ party.” she said sweetly. 

Reggie was slightly taken aback by the mischievous look in her eye. He considered asking for specifics, but decided against it. He didn’t want to seem eager. “I’d appreciate it,”

“See you then!” She parted, dragging a lovestruck Cheryl along with her. Well, it was obvious who were the pants in that relationship. 

He continued his way down the hall, fluidly maneuvering between bodies, while simultaneously handing out red slips. When the first bell rang, signifying everyone to head to first period, Reggie tucked the invitations into his backpack and headed off to math. He placed one of the cards on Josie’s desk as he made his way to his own chair, winking at the girl when she finally entered the room. In response, he got an eye roll and a thumbs up. Sweet. 

He looked around to see if there was anyone else he should invite. Betty sat at the front of the room, chatting with Veronica. He could probably get them to go. He was pretty tight with Veronica. 

He propped his head up on his hand. Thinking about it, his only guy friends were on the football team. All the other friends he made on his own were girls. He furrowed his eyebrows. He could maybe consider Jughead and Dilton distant friends, or acquaintances at the least. Archie was his friend before sports, so that was one definite friend. He was also kinda close to Kevin. Close enough to come out to him first, even if it was on accident. He grinned at that memory. Could he consider Sweet Pea his friend?

He tapped his foot anxiously, wishing class would start so he wouldn’t have to keep thinking. Him and Sweet Pea had had a few conversations that didn’t involve trying to throw each other onto the floor. Although, he did get hit in the face one of those times. 

He leaned back in his chair. What the hell was he thinking? A few instances of teasing didn’t mean the guy was into him. He’d been denied enough times to know that! He sighed heavily. 

He noticed Veronica looking at him curiously. He quickly sat up and flashed her a confident grin. Which she easily saw through. She turned away for a moment and he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He decided to ignore it.

Their teacher finally walked in, and Reggie was relieved for the distraction. 

After class, he was packing up his things, when Veronica walked over. Before she could say anything, he held out an invitation. 

“I’m having a party this weekend,” he said.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, let Betty know, will you?”

“Sure, if you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong, Ronnie.” he grinned. “I’m pretty pumped actually! I got a feeling this’ll finally be the weekend I catch a hot piece of ass!” 

Veronica didn’t look convinced, and she lowered her voice as they walked into the hallway.

“Reg, you can talk to me.”

“No thanks, babe.” he brushed off. “Everything is hunky dory!”

He walked backwards while talking, to keep eye contact with the smaller girl. “I just want everyone to have a good time at my party, y’know? I’m a little anxious about that. I mean, I’ve never tried combining Christmas and New Year’s! What even will I wear--” 

His ramble was cut off by his only flailing about as he tripped over something he couldn’t really focus on finding. His eyes automatically shut tight, preparing for the no doubt, loud and embarrassing impact he was about to make with the floor. 

However, the cement never met his back. Instead, there was a pair of arms hooked under his, and a fairly firm chest against his upper back. He noticed an orange rolling away from him. Whichever asshole decided to drop that would have hell to pay. 

Suddenly, his situation caught up with him. He didn’t have to turn around to know exactly who was behind him. His face flushed and eyes widened as he stared at Veronica, who looked almost as surprised as him. Their eyes met. A shit-eating grin formed on her lips. 

“Well, see you later, Reggie!” she winked and turned to go to her own class. 

Silence.

“Are you going to get your fatass up, or am I gonna have to carry you all the way to your desk?” Sweet Pea said from behind him, sounding less agitated than expected. 

It took everything in Reggie’s being to stop his loud mouth from saying  _ God, yes! Do that!  _ He suppressed a shiver and stuttered out an apology. Sweet Pea helped him up and Reggie stood on shaky legs. 

He looked up at the taller teen, who seemed flustered. Less than Reggie, but pink still dusted across his cheeks. 

“Watch where you’re going next time. Or I’ll let you fall.” he muttered and pushed past Reggie into their next class. 

Reggie noticed the red card poking out of Sweet Pea’s back pocket. Not because he was looking at his ass or anything. Definitely not. He jumped when Sweet Pea looked at him from over his shoulder. 

“You coming or what? I didn’t save your life just for you to be late.” 

“Wha-- save my life?! You barely caught me! I probably would’ve been better off falling! At least that way I wouldn’t have your disgustingly repulsive snake skin particles on me!” Reggie yelled, marching into the classroom. They both went to their respective seats, Sweet Pea grinning in amusement. 

“Fuck off, dude. Is that any way to talk to your savior?” 

Reggie turned around in his desk. “Seems to me the only thing you’re saving is that invite in your pocket. So don’t act all high and mighty. I’m the only egotistical bastard allowed in my house.” 

“You’ve been staring at my ass, Mantle?” 

Reggie sputtered. “ _ No! _ ” 

Sweet Pea’s shoulders shook slightly when he huffed out a laugh. “Sure,” 

“Whatever,” Reggie grumbled, turning back around. 

He could feel Sweet Pea’s eyes on him throughout the rest of class. Normally, he’d beg for time to move faster, but next was gym. There was no chance he’d be having a peaceful sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gonna put out another chapter on the 29th and another on the 31st


	5. A Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooooh kids be drinking but this is riverdale so what do u expect lmao

Reggie suffered for two days after what he dubbed  The _  Goddamn, Sweet Pea has a nice chest, and it’s really making me lose sleep _ incident. Alas, it was finally Saturday. 

Reggie had convinced Moose of his plan, the big lug couldn’t say no to anything. Poor guy. 

He ran through his house, making sure everything was prepared. Drinks? Check. Snacks? Check. Vader? Check. He knelt and petted the dog. Unspecified gaming console plugged in? Check. Everything seemed fine. He had locked the garage and his parents room. His own room donning a large “STAY OUT” sign. Hopefully his guests could read. He only planned on two people going in there tonight. 

Vader sensed his nervousness and licked his hang. 

“This’ll be your first time meeting him, right bud? You gotta let me know if he’s a good guy or not.” 

Vader barked and wagged his tail. 

“Thanks, bud!” Reggie smiled and picked up the small dog, kissing his head. Vader enthusiastically returned the gesture, giving Reggie a cowlick. The boy laughed and lowered the dog back to the floor. 

“Alright, don’t get lost in the crowd. I made you a place in the laundry room if the noise bothers you.” 

Vader grunted, and Reggie assumed he understood. 

He stood up and attempted to fix his hair while pacing back and forth between the dining room and kitchen. He heard the front door open and Moose’s voice call out. 

“In here!” he yelled. 

A few seconds past, and then the whole football team peered around the doorway. 

“About damn time!” Reggie cheered. “Was starting to think y’all flaked.” 

“No way!” Moose said, keg over his shoulder. He brought it over to the table and placed it atop it. “We wouldn’t miss one of  _ your  _ parties!” 

“Yeah!” the group of boys agreed. 

“So when’s the chicks getting here?” one of them in the back called out. 

“Everyone’s suppose to get here any minute now,” 

A murmur fell over the boys and they slowly dissipated to different areas of the house. 

Eventually, more guests started to trickle in and Reggie stayed close to the door to greet everyone as they arrived. He kept his eye out for any Serpent wear or plaid. At one point he got his hopes up, but it just turned out to be Jughead. Which pissed Reggie off a bit, but not enough to total kill his mood. 

About an hour passed, and Reggie was slowly giving up hope. He was talking to Betty and Kevin, the latter trying to hold in his laugh at Reggie’s misfortune, when he noticed Cheryl and her girlfriend walk in. He should probably learn her name. 

The pair in front of him noticed his distracted gaze.

“Looks like you have more guests to greet!” Betty said, pulling Kevin away. 

Reggie made his way over to the girls and caught the tail end of their conversation.

“--really horny, Toni. Stay close to me.”  
“Who’s really horny?” Reggie slide into their conversation.

“Your musky football team of pigs,” Cheryl said matter of factly. 

Reggie glanced past them towards the front door while agreeing verbally. 

“Who are you waiting for?” the other girl, Toni, asked. 

“No one,” 

“It doesn’t seem like no one,”

He looked at Toni, once again surprised at the look in her eye. Then again, no one could date Cheryl Blossom and be completely innocent. 

“Are your friends coming?” he asked, throwing caution into the wind. 

“They sure are,” the small girl replied merrily. “Sweet Pea is  _ especially  _ excited.”

“Dear, God.” Cheryl interrupted. “Do you have a thing for one of those hooligans?” 

Toni put her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “We don’t decide who we like Cheryl,” 

Cheryl still looked mortified. “But who could like that oversized imp of a friend you have? His personality is so off-putting!” 

Toni smiled sweetly at her girlfriend. “He's just not your type, hon.” Then, she turned to Reggie, still smiling. “Hurt him and we’ll hold you down while he slowly dismembers every limb from your body.”

“Hurt him? Wait, are you giving me your blessing? I didn’t even say I like him!” Reggie deflected. 

Toni gave him a knowing look before asking where the snacks were. Reggie pointed her in the direction and the two girls walked away, Cheryl looking at him funny as they rounded the corner to the kitchen. 

He sighed and continued his wait by the door. Eventually, Moose came up to him, asking about the plan. Reggie reiterated that all Moose had to do was make an excuse to get Fangs away from Sweet Pea, but that was only if the two didn’t get separated themselves. 

“What exactly do you gotta talk to Sweet Pea about again?” Moose questioned.

“I got a jingle jangle stash up in my room. He’s buying. Mentioned it at school.”

“And you trust him,”

“Moose, he’s in a gang. It’s not like he’s got much to snitch about.” Reggie scoffed. “Don’t worry about it alright?” 

Moose nodded and went back to dancing with Midge. Reggie watched them in envy. He remembered back in middle school when he’d flirt with Midge, which made Moose pissed as hell. He grinned fondly, recalling the easy back and forth banter he shared with the girl, and the thrill of adrenaline he got every time Moose threatened him. 

He looked away before he could get too distracted. His eyes stayed glued to the door until two boys, both clad in flannels, walked through the door. Reggie smirked and gave them his typical greeting. 

“Ever heard of punctuality? The party started over an hour again.” 

Fangs looked a little frightened when Reggie walked up, which only boosted the football players ego. 

“Toni said there’d be free beer,” Sweet Pea stated bluntly, seeming bored already. That wouldn’t do. 

“Obviously. It’s a fucking party bro. Drinks are in the dining room and snacks are in the kitchen.” Reggie explained, nodding towards the rooms. “Help yourselves,” 

Sweet Pea glanced at Fangs, then pushed past Reggie, the shorter Serpent trailing behind him. Reggie felt slightly jealous and turned away. His eyes caught Moose, who looked back in question. Reggie nodded. 

Moose went into the dining room. A few minutes past and no one came out. Reggie got impatient and went to see what was taking so long. When he looked into the room, Vader was on his back getting belly rubs from Fangs. Reggie scowled at Moose, who offered an apologetic shrug. On the other side of the room, Sweet Pea was guzzling whatever was in his cup. 

Reggie snuck past Fangs and made his way to the taller teen. Before he could say anything, Sweet Pea spoke up. 

“Where’s the bathroom?”

“I can show you,” Reggie said, grabbing the other boy by the sleeve and pulling him to the small half bath under the stairs. He tried opening the door, but it was locked. He banged on the door. Whoever was there only bothered to grunt loudly. 

“You can just use mine. You sober enough to make it upstairs?” 

“No, carry me.”

Reggie looked at Sweet Pea in shock. Then glared when he saw the grin on the Serpents face. He yanked his hand away and started marching up the stairs. 

“You can go piss outside,”

Sweet Pea followed. “And let my dick freeze off? No way!”

Reggie lead Sweet Pea to his bedroom and held the door open for him. Sweet Pea walked in and looked around. Reggie thought his room looked fairly normal. A few band posters hung on the far wall and his bookshelf contained a few textbooks, but mostly movies and video games. His bed was made too, which he happened to be very proud of. 

“Door on the right is the bathroom,” he said. 

Reggie thought he heard Sweet Pea mutter a thanks before disappearing into the restroom. He waited awkwardly, somehow feeling out of place in his own room. He sat on his bed, staring at floor, trying to figure out what to do next. 

He heard the toilet flush followed by the sink running. 

Reggie laid back on his bed. His original idea was to chat up Sweet Pea a bit, so he could direct the conversation flow. He bit the inside of his cheek in frustration. All his built up excitement for the night suddenly drained out of him. He should’ve thought this through better-- it was dumb impulsive shit that had nearly cost him team captain! God, he was such an idiot. 

The bathroom door opened and he turned his head to the side to see Sweet Pea looking at him quizzically. 

“Shouldn’t you be down at the party? Or are you worried I’m gonna mess with shit?”

Reggie sighed and turned his gaze back to the ceiling. “Neither,” 

He heard muffled footsteps, then Sweet Pea filled his vision, leaning over him. “The fucks up with you? You’re not running your mouth as much as usual.” 

Reggie rolled his eyes. “You love hearing me talk that much, huh?”

“Course not!” Sweet Pea stood back and looked around the room again. “You play guitar?” he asked, facing Reggie’s bass in the corner. 

“Bass usually. But yeah, guitar too.” 

“Yeah? What kinda music? You got a lot of indie shit everywhere.”

Reggie got up and walked over to his bass guitar, eager to show off. “Usually whatever comes to mind, y’know? If I hear something I like, I’ll learn it then move on.”

Sweet Pea grinned at him. “Ever write anything yourself? I noticed some poetry books on your shelf, and I know how much you just love poetry.” 

“Writing lyrics and then trying to formulate notes to go along with it is a little different than just writing poetry. Getting everything to flow right is hard, so no. I don’t.” Reggie plucked at the strings as he spoke. 

Sweet Pea watched his hands. Reggie could tell he wanted to ask more questions. Probably not the ones Reggie hoped for, but at least he seemed interested. 

“Do you play?” the shorter of the two prompted. 

Sweet Pea shook his head. “I tried learning. I’m not very patient.” 

Reggie chuckled. “I can imagine,” 

“I did learn sax though,”

Reggie’s hands stilled. “Saxophone? You? That I can’t image.”

Sweet Pea shrugged and Reggie continued. “I mean, I guess it kinda makes sense, since you blow so much, but I always took you as a drums guy.” 

“Honestly, choke.” the flannel wearing boy said. Reggie felt himself smile. 

“You fucking wish! Bulldogs don’t choke.”

“Christ, you’re cringy.”

“Says you,” 

“Says everyone,” 

“Your mom seemed to disagree last night,” 

Sweet Pea punched his shoulder and Reggie laughed, setting his instrument down so it wouldn’t get damaged. 

“Can I ask you something?” Sweet Pea mumbled. Reggie almost let out a sigh of relief. He nodded.

“You’ve been..flirting with me, right? Or, shit, is it not? Are you just like, playfully arguing or something? That sounds weird, sorry. I’ve had too much to drink.” 

Reggie felt his face flared up and he was worried his own heat would cause him to start sweating. Sweet Pea was avoiding eye contact, eyes stubbornly glued to Reggie’s elbow and brows knitted together. He continued his rambling.

“I’m not, like, trying to accuse you of anything, but I don’t usually mess around with people like this or whatever. I just..I just want to know if I’m reading too much into this.” 

“Shit! Was it that obvious?!” Reggie abruptly burst. “Wait, this means you were flirting back! Why didn’t you say anything asshole! I had to get advice from Kevin fucking Keller!” 

Sweet Pea’s eyes widened and he stepped back at Reggie’s sudden outburst. “Me?!” he yelled. “You started it!” 

Well, Reggie couldn’t argue with that. “Yeah, well, shut up!” he countered smartly. 

“You can’t get mad at me for not saying anything and then tell me to shut up!” 

Reggie crossed his arms. “You lost your chance for speaking. I’ll do all the talking for now on.”

“Oh, is that so?” Sweet Pea leered, his own blush making an appearance. 

“Yeah! We’re dating now. Unless you’re too scared. I can be a handful, so it’s okay to be intimidated.” Reggie teased, his usual condescending smirk plastered on his face. Sweet Pea seemed happy to see it. 

“Is that a challenge, mutt? You can’t chase me away that easily. I’m gonna date you so hard.” 

“We’ll see about that, snake.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah reggie said yall whatcha gonna do about it hes from tExAs


	6. Dear 2019,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> two parties back to back bc i don't know how actual teens exist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEARS I HATE 2018

Reggie was on cloud nine. He couldn’t recall a better day than today. And it was a Monday too! Nothing could bum him out. Not the math test he took today. Not the bad grade he got back on his physics test. Not the fact that someone took his usual parking space at school today. Not even his dad’s annoying yelling that trailed after him ad Reggie made his way up to his bedroom.

The very room him and Sweet Pea became a thing in. He thought back to the party. They had stayed in Reggie’s room for a while, talking about limits and what they were comfortable with and every other precaution that should be taken when starting a relationship. 

Sweet Pea had admitted that he’d never technically dated anyone before and Reggie explained that this was new to him too since he’d never been with a guy. They’d agree to not move too fast. They’d set whatever pace felt comfortable. 

But damn, Sweet Pea was eager. He didn’t do anything extremely forward like make out with Reggie in the hallway, which Reggie definitely wouldn’t be against. No, instead, when Reggie made his way to his locker, running slightly behind because of the aforementioned parking space issue, Sweet Pea was waiting there for him.

The taller teen insisted that he walk Reggie to his first period. Reggie, of course, had no qualms about that. That wasn’t what had him buzzing though. When they started walking, Sweet Pea held his hand. They held hands not once, not twice, but three times! 

Reggie tossed his bag into the corner of his room and threw himself back onto his bed. He held his hand above his face, idiotic smile tugging at his lips. He’d never felt so  _ stupid _ about someone before. 

All his other relationships were pretty short lived, mostly just flings. It’d always be an arm around the waist and sloppy kiss on the mouth. Holding hands was just so...pure? And it really didn’t help that Sweet Pea got all aggressively shy about it. He looked happy though, the small smile on his face seemed almost out of place. 

Reggie rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. They still didn’t sit together at lunch, but progress was progress. Besides, he may have exploded if that happened. 

He was proud of himself though. He thought he’d end up all over Sweet Pea, but his self control was astonishing. Sure, Reggie was still having wet dreams and he may or may not have thought some dirty things about what else he’d like Sweet Pea’s hand to hold, but so far he was able to will those pesky thoughts away whenever the other boy was present. 

He heard the buzz of his silent phone and sat up to check it. It was a message from Sweet Pea. 

_ some of us are hanging at the park tonight to watch fireworks _

_ you down? _

 

Reggie grinned widely.

_ Yeah, what time? _

_ sunset _

_ I’ll be there _

 

Reggie put his phone down and jumped up. He needed to go ahead and get his homework done. He grabbed his backpack and go to work.

By the time his homework was done, he still had roughly an hour to spare, so he decided to go downstairs and do a little cleaning, that way his dad would be in a good mood. He thought the best place to start would be with the dishes, which is why he found himself in the kitchen. 

It was almost dark out by the time Reggie was done with the dishes. He made his way over towards the garage and grabbed his keys. He yelled a quick goodbye to his dad and left before the man could respond. 

The drive to the park was quiet. He expected more people to be out and about, then again, it was a school night. Which he thought was stupid. But whatever. 

As the park drew closer, he kept his eye out for Sweet Pea. He parked along the curb and got out the car. He noticed a few figures on top of the playground and made his way over.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Oh, hi Reggie!” a girl’s voiced called. He squinted his eyes and realized it was Toni. His eyes fully adjusted. On top of the playground was Sweet Pea, Toni, Fangs, and Jughead. He was confused why the latter three were holding onto Sweet Pea, and it must’ve showed on his face.

“Sweet Pea got his foot stuck,” Jughead said. “He tried to kick me. He didn’t find the situation as funny as the rest of us, so now he won’t talk.” 

“Fangs, tell Jughead that I’m perfectly willing to talk. Just not to him because I hate him.” Sweet Pea mumbled. 

Fangs sighed in exasperation, but still relayed the message. 

Reggie watched in amusement as Sweet Pea and Jughead used Fangs to give messages back and forth. Eventually, Toni got tired of it and interrupted them. 

“Reggie, you’re strong right?” she asked. 

“Well, I don’t mean to brag, but--” his brag was cut off by Toni.

“Great! You deal with this idiot while the rest of us go have fun with everyone else!” she smiled, and slid down the slide.

“Everyone else?” Reggie asked, as the other two who weren’t stuck, followed down the slide. 

“At the pavilion,” Fangs said simply. Then, the three left. 

Reggie looked up at where Sweet Pea was. 

“Don’t say anything,” the incapacitated teen sharply said. 

“Oh, I have so much to say,” Reggie grinned and climbed to the top of the playground. “First, you’re stupid, but it’s okay because I’m smart enough for the both of us.”

“Yeah, yeah. Shut the fuck up and help me already.” 

“And waste the opportunity? I can say anything and you can’t retaliate!” 

“I didn’t have to invite you, y’know,” 

“If you didn’t like being teased, then you wouldn’t have agreed to date me.” Reggie pointed out. Sweet Pea kept his mouth closed. “Also, you have a fatass.” Reggie added. He stepped out of swinging range with a laugh when Sweet Pea threw a fist. 

Sweet Pea jerked towards him, his foot yanked on the bars, and his eyebrows drew together. 

“Hey, calm down. You’re gonna hurt yourself.” Reggie pushed on Sweet Pea’s shoulders. “Sit down so we can get you outta that.” he nodded to the bars. 

Sweet Pea nodded and maneuvered into a sitting position, Reggie following suit. He looked at Sweet Pea’s foot. 

“How the hell did you even do this?” Reggie asked. 

“Kicked. Obviously.” 

Reggie smacked Sweet Pea’s leg.

“Ow!” 

“Shut up, pussy. I think I know how to get you out.” 

A moment of silence passed.

“Alright, yeah. Take you shoe off then stand back up.” Reggie said, then stood behind Sweet Pea. 

Sweet Pea did as told and stood up with Reggie’s help. 

“Brace your other foot against the bars. And don’t get that one stuck.” 

“I’m not gonna get it stuck--” 

“Oh my God, shut up and do what I say.” 

Sweet Pea huffed and braced his free foot. 

“I’ll pull and you push, got it?” 

“I don’t see why this would work now. Me and the others already tried it.” 

“You didn’t think to take off your gay ass boots first though, did you?” 

“..No,” 

“That’s what I thought,” Reggie said and started pulling. 

Less than a minute of struggling later, and Sweet Pea was free. He was thrown off balance and knocked back against Reggie, who fell back against the bars behind him. 

“Oh, shit,” Sweet Pea quickly spun around to check on Reggie. “Reggie, you okay?”

“You..really are a fatass,” Reggie laughed. Sweet Pea glared and hit Reggie upside the head. 

“Hey! Ow!” 

“Shut up, pussy.” Sweet Pea grinned and Reggie felt himself smile back. They both jumped when a firework went off.

“What time is it?” Reggie asked.

“Dunno. We can go join the others now though.” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

The pair took their turns going down the slide, Sweet Pea grabbing his shoe when they got to the bottom, and they made their way to everyone else. 

Reggie was a little surprised to see just how many people were there. It was just the Serpents either. A few of his teammates were even there. He glanced at Sweet Pea in question. 

“FP said all of us could bring a plus one, and a lot of kids have made friends since transfering.” he answered. 

Reggie nodded and looked around. He was kinda hoping there’d be less people for once, although he should’ve figured that wouldn’t be the case. It was New Year’s Eve after all. 

Sweet Pea pulled him over to their friends.  _ Theirs.  _ Cheryl, Archie, and Moose, for some reason, were all there too. Cheryl was a given. Archie was understandable. But Moose being there was very confusing, until he noticed the drawing pad. It looked like Moose was teaching Fangs how to draw a rabbit.

Reggie and Sweet Pea took their seats with the rest of the group. They all talked about miscellaneous things from classes to the various uses of sponge. As time passed, Reggie genuinely started to have fun, even if all they were doing was talking. 

At some point, some of the other people started setting off more fireworks. Sweet Pea tugged Reggie’s hand.

“Wanna go watch?” he asked. 

“That’s why you invited me, isn’t it?” 

“Well, I also wanted to spend time with you, but yeah.” 

Reggie grinned and they decided to go back to the playground. After a minute of debating, they laid in the grass. Different colors burst apart against the sky, each one with loud crackles and sparks. 

“Sweet Pea?” 

“Yeah?”

“What’s your resolution?” 

“To date you,” 

“You’re already doing that,”

“To date you  _ really well, _ ”

Reggie laughed and inched closer. 

“What about yours?” Sweet Pea asked, intertwining their fingers. 

“I’m already perfect, there’s nothing to change.” 

“Hm. No, you could definitely change to a stronger deodorant.” quipped Sweet Pea with a laugh. 

“Wow, are you really laughing at your own joke? Dork.”

“Yeah, I’m laughing! I’m funny. You probably don’t know what that is though.”

Reggie scoffed. “I’m a whole lot funnier than you.” 

“Funny looking maybe,”

“Whatever. You totally think I’m hot.”

“Duh,”

Their conversation trailed off into a comfortable silence. Reggie watched the fireworks again. His eyelids started to feel heavy and he let out a deep sign. He felt Sweet Pea shift and then his head was on the other boy’s chest. He smiled to himself. 

He didn’t know exactly when he fell asleep. He just remembered the bursts of colors melting behind his eyes as the rise and fall of Sweet Pea’s chest lulled him to sleep. The next thing he knew, he was being shook awake and the distant sound of people counting came to rise. 

“Less than a minute, Reggie. Time to wake up.” 

He blinked his eyes open and looked at Sweet Pea. That was a nice sight. 

“What time is it?” 

“Eleven fifty-nine. Less than thirty seconds left. Are you leaving after midnight?” 

“Soon after. Wanna kiss you first though.” 

Sweet Pea laughed softly and brushed Reggie’s hair out of his face. “That was kinda the point of inviting you,” 

“What about the fireworks and spending time with me?” 

“Those were just bonuses,”

“Such a snake,” Reggie complained and leaned in. 

The kiss didn’t last very long, only a few seconds of lips pressed together. The distant sound of cheers and fireworks could be heard. Reggie imagined they were for him. For finally getting to that high he wanted. A smile broke across his face and he felt his heart speed up. Or maybe that was Sweet Pea’s. Either way, giddiness started to bubble up inside him. But before he could get a buzz, the kiss ended. 

When he opened his eyes again, Sweet Pea was staring at him with his own smile. It was definitely a fond look and Reggie considered that maybe he could high just off of looking at his boyfriend. 

Boyfriend?

“Sweet Pea, are we boyfriends?”

The Serpent’s eyebrow rose. “I guess so. We’re dating. That’s how it works right?” 

“Doesn’t matter. We’re boyfriends now.” 

Reggie laid his head back down and felt Sweet Pea laugh. Then a hand was stroking through his hair. He let his eyes fall closed again. Sleeping a few more minutes sounded nice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> could i have made this better? psh yeah. did i? nah its unedited which means i REFUSE to look at it again- also yeaaaahhh I think this is the end but I have another fix for this pair, still in progress just btw


End file.
